This stone and timber house overlooks the vineyards around Vétroz, a center for grape growing in southern Switzerland. It was built in 1850 for a winemaker’s family and consists of two floors of living and work space over a wine cellar cut into the hillside. The current owner asked Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes to renovate the structure into a modern two-bedroom home.

To restore the exterior, the roof was replaced and the render was removed from the walls, exposing the home’s rubble stone base. The new floor plan puts the daytime living areas on the top floor with the bedrooms and bathroom below. The original windows were quite small so a couple of larger openings were cut into the stone walls and a skylight was added, bringing light into the living room. The interior finishes reflect the exterior materials, with wood used for the timber part and a cement finish used in the stone portions.